Allison Russo
Russo in 2021
Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives
In office January 26, 2022 – June 24, 2025
Preceded by	Kristin Boggs (acting)
Succeeded by	Dani Isaacsohn
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2023
Preceded by	Tom Patton
Constituency	7th district
In office January 7, 2019 – December 31, 2022
Preceded by	Jim Hughes
Succeeded by	Dani Isaacsohn
Constituency	24th district
Personal details
Born	(1976-10-15) October 15, 1976 (age 49)
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Brian Russo
Education	Mississippi University for Women (BS) University of Alabama, Birmingham (MPH) George Washington University (DPH)
Website	Campaign website

Catherine Allison Russo (born October 15, 1976) is a Democratic politician currently serving as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.^[1] She represents the 7th district, which consists of portions of Columbus, and Upper Arlington in Franklin County. Russo formerly served as Ohio House Minority Leader from January 2022 to June 2025.^[2]

State Representative Allison Russo served as Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives during a period in which Republicans held a supermajority in the chamber. In that role, Russo was responsible for leading the House Democratic Caucus, coordinating legislative strategy, and navigating Democratic priorities in a legislature dominated by Republican leadership.^[3]

During Russo’s time as Leader, Democrats held together in opposition to an effort by Republicans to raise the threshold for passing a constitutional amendment in Ohio from a simple majority of 50-plus one to 60 percent. With Democrats standing strong, Republicans missed two deadlines to put the issue before voters in May, 2023 and eventually were forced to spend $20 million for a special election in August, just months after passing a law banning August special elections. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the idea in August, 2023.^[4][5]

In 2023, as Minority Leader, Russo formed a coalition with moderate Republicans in the Ohio House to install moderate Jason Stephens as Speaker for the two-year biennium. This frustrated the far-right conservative members of the Ohio House. The partnership between Leader Russo and Stephens ensured more seats on committees for House Democrats, and more influence in setting the rules for the House. The coalition also stopped Republicans in the House from passing a more conservative agenda, including preventing anti-labor, anti-union bills from passage.^[6][7]

On June 24, 2025, Russo stepped down as House Minority Leader, saying the caucus needed “ample time to prepare for the 2026 election cycle.” She continued serving as a member of the Ohio House. Representative Dani Isaacsohn was elected by the Democratic caucus to succeed her.^[8][9]

Multiple Ohio news outlets noted that Russo’s decision to step down occurred mid-cycle rather than following a general election, a timing described as less typical for legislative leadership transitions. Coverage emphasized that the announcement came in early June 2025 and was framed as a transition ahead of the next election cycle, with reporting situating the timing amid broader caucus and statewide political considerations without attributing a specific cause.^{[10][11][12][13][14]}

Her decision followed a period of heightened scrutiny related to the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s 2023 adoption of new legislative maps. Russo had previously issued public statements criticizing earlier versions of the maps after they were ruled unconstitutional, and later defended her September 2023 vote in favor of the bipartisan plan as “the best of two bad options.” The vote and its consequences drew renewed criticism from voting-rights advocates and Democratic activists during her subsequent statewide campaign, particularly after the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed further challenges and the maps remained in effect.^[15][16][17]

As House minority leader, Russo served as one of two Democratic members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission during the post-2020 map-drawing cycle. During this period, the Supreme Court of Ohio repeatedly invalidated General Assembly maps adopted by the commission as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders that violated Article XI, Section 6 of the Ohio Constitution, and ordered the commission to adopt new plans in compliance with the state constitution.^[18][19]

In subsequent litigation over the September 2023 plan, the Supreme Court of Ohio noted that Russo proposed an amendment to the unanimously adopted plan, that both Democratic commissioners voted for the amended plan, and that bipartisan support rendered the plan effective through the 2030 election cycle, even as petitioners continued to describe the plan as a partisan gerrymander under Article XI, Section 6(B).^[20]

In September 2023, the Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously approved a sixth version of the post-2020 General Assembly maps, often referred to as "Map 6", with Russo and Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio joining the five Republican members in support.^[21][22]

Analyses of the plan projected Republican advantages of roughly 61–38 in the Ohio House and 23–10 in the Ohio Senate, while also noting an increase in the number of competitive districts compared with some earlier drafts.^[23]

On September 26, 2023, the Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously approved new Ohio House and Senate maps, with Russo and Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio joining the Republican members in support. Analyses of the plan projected Republican advantages of roughly 61–38 in the House and 23–10 in the Senate, while also noting an increase in the number of competitive districts compared with earlier drafts. Because the plan was adopted with bipartisan support, the Ohio Supreme Court subsequently dismissed legal challenges to the maps, leaving them in effect for the remainder of the decade despite continued claims that they constituted partisan gerrymanders.^[24]

Voting-rights coalitions Equal Districts and Fair Districts, including Common Cause Ohio, criticized the agreement as entrenching partisan gerrymanders despite the bipartisan vote.^[25]

Russo’s support for the 2023 maps drew renewed scrutiny during her 2026 campaign for Ohio Secretary of State. Voting-rights advocates and some Democratic activists argued that backing the GOP-favored plan had undercut efforts to pass a citizen-led redistricting amendment scheduled for the 2024 ballot.^[26] In a 2024 interview with Signal Ohio, Russo defended her votes as "the best of two bad options", describing the decision as one of the most difficult of her legislative career.^[27]

The vote drew criticism from voting-rights organizations and redistricting reform advocates, who argued that the maps continued to favor Republicans after multiple earlier proposals had been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Ohio.^[28]

In interviews, she defended the decision as “the best of two bad options,” citing months of stalemate on the commission and a need to avoid further delays. ^[29]

Critics argued the decision contributed to Republican advantages in the subsequent election cycles and reduced opportunities for Democratic gains, particularly in suburban and exurban districts. ^[30]

Russo’s leadership tenure drew renewed attention following her June 2025 announcement that she would step down as House Minority Leader at the end of the month.^[31] Analysts noted that Ohio Democrats continued to operate within a Republican-favored legislative landscape, with prior assessments highlighting persistent structural disadvantages for the caucus despite competitive performances in several suburban districts.^[32]

Russo faced off against Republican candidate Erik Yassenoff in the general election on November 6, 2018, winning with 57 percent of the vote, flipping the seat from Republican control to Democratic control.^[33] In 2020, she successfully defended her seat against Republican Pat Manley, winning with 58% of the vote. After being redrawn into the 7th district, Russo was again re-elected to the Ohio House in 2022 and 2024, running uncontested in both elections.^[34][35]

Russo serves on the following committees:^[36]

• Health
• State and Local Government
• Finance
• Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
• Families, Aging Human Services

In May 2021, Republican Representative Steve Stivers resigned from Congress to become CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, triggering a special election for the vacant seat.^[37] Russo won the Democratic primary in August against Greg Betts, and advanced to the general election against Republican lobbyist Mike Carey. The election was held on November 2, 2021, with Carey defeating Russo by a margin of 58.3 percent to 41.7 percent.^[38] Despite the loss, Russo received the highest vote share for a Democrat in the district since it was redrawn in 2012.

In August 2025, Russo announced that she would be running for Ohio Secretary of State in 2026.^[39]

• State representative website
• Campaign website
• Profile from the Ohio Statehouse Museum

• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart